Instytut Pamięci Narodowej (IPN) - sylwetka autora

The Institute of National Remembrance – Commission for the Prosecution of Crimes against the Polish Nation was established through legislation enacted on December 18, 1998. Within the framework of the Institute operate several key bodies: the Main Commission for the Prosecution of Crimes against the Polish Nation, the Office for Preservation and Dissemination of Archival Records, the Public Education Office, and the Vetting Office. The core responsibilities of the Institute include collecting and managing documents from state security bodies created between July 22, 1944, and July 31, 1990, as well as conducting investigations into Nazi and Communist crimes and engaging in educational endeavors. The Institute is tasked with acquiring documents from various archives, such as those held by the Ministry of Interior and Administration, the Office for State Protection, the Ministry of National Defense, the Ministry of Justice, and the Central Archives of Modern Records.

The legislation governing the Institute of National Remembrance stipulates the availability of documents collected by PRL-era special services to individuals about whom information was secretly gathered by state security agencies. The headquarters of the Institute is located in Warsaw at 28 Towarowa Street. Additionally, 11 regional branches of the Institute have been established in all cities where appellate courts are present, along with delegations in seven other cities across Poland. The Institute is led by a president. Currently, Dr. Łukasz Kamiński serves as the president, having been elected by the Polish Sejm on June 10, 2011.

The first president of the Institute was Professor Leon Kieres, who served from 2000 to 2005. Following his term, on December 9, 2005, the Sejm appointed Dr. hab. Janusz Kurtyka to the position, who led the Institute until his untimely death in the tragic plane crash near Smolensk on April 10, 2010. Until Dr. Łukasz Kamiński's election, Dr. Franciszek Gryciuk served as the acting president of the Institute. More information can be found on their official website: [IPN website](https://******.**